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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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