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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bulb — for light
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — a break
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kid — child
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rest — what's left

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