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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. row — a line
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pound — a weight

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