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

Word bank: ground · bulb · mark · ball · present · deal · rush · cell

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. present — the time now
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a great time

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