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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · fine · net · bound · bulb · ruler

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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