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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — there
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. net — after costs
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — to come down
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — to rob

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