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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — certain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — to eat
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer

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