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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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