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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rock — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — for measuring

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