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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — in football
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — for catching

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