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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · bulb · mug · present · season · rock · nail · ground

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rock — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mug — a face

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