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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — to cut
  6. net — after costs
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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