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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a path
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  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