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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spring — of water
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. deal — a big deal

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