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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — for catching
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — to breed
  21. drill — army training
  22. net — after costs
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mate — a partner

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