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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a match
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — in sport

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