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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. present — a gift
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. spell — a short time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. present — there
  17. deal — to handle
  18. present — the time now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — bread
  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