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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — for catching
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — happy
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pop — soda
  24. content — videos and posts

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