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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — a break
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — a country
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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