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

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. land — a country
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. land — to come down
  13. club — a group
  14. land — ground
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — to keep track

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