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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. land — a country
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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