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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. key — for a lock
  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