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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. season — of the year
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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