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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ball — a great time
  10. net — after costs
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — in sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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