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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. object — to protest
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — an aim
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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