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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 124 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — a partner
  8. roll — a list
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — government
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — a sauce

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