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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — a lid
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — the season
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — of water
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — for light

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