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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. scale — size or range
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — for weighing

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