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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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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: mouse · net · season · pass · present · chest · bulb · leaves

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. present — there
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chest — a box
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. net — in sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. leaves — to go away

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