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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — a stick
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — music
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. roll — a list
  23. branch — a division
  24. roll — a cake

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