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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — after costs
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. net — in sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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