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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — a line
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. roll — a cake
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of law
  24. straw — a straw man

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