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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — in sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a grade
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. ground — crushed
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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