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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — in sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — for catching
  21. game — wild animals
  22. spell — letters
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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