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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: pit · saw · last · net · bulb · rest · cap · swing

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cap — a hat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — finally
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. swing — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — to play on

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