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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: squash · trunk · bulb · land · jam · rash · present · rock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — to crush
  4. land — to come down
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — music
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — hasty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — there
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — ground
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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