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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 124 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: bulb · firm · season · pound · hide · bat · rule · game

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — government
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. season — of the year
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — a company

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