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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — for catching
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — in sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — after costs
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a song
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — a cake

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