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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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