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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — a match
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — of ice
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — a short time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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