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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — tied together
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kid — to tease
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. present — there
  18. net — in sport
  19. kid — child
  20. bound — certain
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — the time now

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