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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mate — to breed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — the season
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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