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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — after costs
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — obliged

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