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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mate — a friend
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — a match
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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