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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. track — a song
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. net — after costs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a path
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bound — tied together
  21. net — for catching
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — obliged

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