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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — decided
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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