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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a line
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — clothes
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — an explosive

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