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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — a country
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — there
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — ground
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — a gift
  24. fan — to cool the air

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