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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. deal — to handle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. court — of law

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