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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of law
  5. firm — a company
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — letters
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — the tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. firm — steady
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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