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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. charge — a price
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pound — a weight

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