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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 124 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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — to play on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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