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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. net — for catching
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — government
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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