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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. game — a match
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. bulb — for light

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