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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — of water
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. net — in sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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