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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — a song
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to click
  24. bulb — for light

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