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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. shower — to wash
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. net — for catching
  23. can — a tin
  24. row — a line

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