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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bat — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a city
  12. race — a contest
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — humankind
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — of a plant

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