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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.

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: foot · spell · racket · bulb · net · stick · bass · toast

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — letters
  5. toast — bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — low music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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