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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — low music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — the fish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — in sport
  24. bass — the instrument

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