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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — to play on
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. march — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — in sport

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