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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to confront
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a song

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