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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — bread
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. net — for catching
  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