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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kid — child
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — a loud noise

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