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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. lean — thin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to bend

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