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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fine — all right
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — the most important part
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. calf — a young animal

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