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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — after costs
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. object — to protest
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — in sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — an aim

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