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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a line of people
  3. race — the arms race
  4. file — a document
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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