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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. file — a document
  15. hand — help
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pop — music
  24. file — a tool

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