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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. ground — a position
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for dancing
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. club — a group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — to go on
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. last — final
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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