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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — hurry

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