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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a line of people
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — a subject
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. field — for sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. field — farmland
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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