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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. net — after costs
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — a law
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — for catching
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. net — in sport
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bulb — for light

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