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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — thin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — the earth
  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