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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pop — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rash — a series
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hand — help
  23. pop — to visit
  24. branch — a division

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