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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. land — ground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. season — in sport
  24. land — to come down

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