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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — for catching
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — hurry
  12. net — in sport
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. present — there
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. coach — a trainer

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