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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · hide · bulb · root · mate · swing · mouse · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a friend

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