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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pop — soda
  3. cell — in biology
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — to visit
  16. net — in sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — for catching
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chair — to sit on

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