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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 124 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ruler — a monarch

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