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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mate — to breed
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — there
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — to come down
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — to handle

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