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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kid — child
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — in sport
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — to tease
  22. net — after costs
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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