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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: ball · land · rash · bulb · can · mug · mine · spell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a great time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — letters
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — magic

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