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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — a series
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — after costs
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. net — for catching
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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