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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. net — for catching
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spring — of water
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — side of the head
  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