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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a match
  3. net — in sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — after costs
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — for catching
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — rain
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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