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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the sport
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — a container
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — of the year

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