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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — to tire
  12. court — of a king
  13. bore — to drill
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. net — for catching
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — the time now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. bore — gave birth

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