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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. net — for catching
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pop — soda

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