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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. net — in sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — a weight
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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