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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — a path
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — in sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. net — after costs
  24. sharp — exactly

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