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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. march — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. row — a quarrel

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