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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — the underground
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — to be able to
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — hasty
  16. clip — to cut
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — a video

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