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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: can · fine · bat · ground · bear · coach · object · bulb

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — a position
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — a thing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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