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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — the animal

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