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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. can — a tin

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