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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. hand — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — a grade
  15. club — a group
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — for dancing
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com