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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 120 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: bulb · rest · present · ground · bat · cabinet · pass · fan

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. present — a gift
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — a break
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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