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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a tool

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