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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a lid
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rock — music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — a stone

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