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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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