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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — a law
  19. fine — high quality
  20. vault — a safe
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fine — a penalty

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