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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. pop — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — steady
  24. roll — on a roll

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