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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — for catching
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fall — the season
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cap — a hat

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