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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ball — a dance
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — a company
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — in cards
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. suit — to fit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — clothes

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