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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — wild animals
  23. net — for catching
  24. calf — a young animal

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