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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — a match
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spring — of water
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mug — a face
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a cup

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