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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — for catching
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — electric

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