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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · leaves · fall · game · bay · racket · bulb · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. game — a match
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — the season
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spring — a coil
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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