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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — wild animals
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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