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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — a coil
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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