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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — for paper
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — humankind
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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