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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spring — of water
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — a song
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — to keep track
  21. roll — a list
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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