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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — happy
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — after costs
  23. cue — a signal
  24. saw — the tool

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