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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — after costs
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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