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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: net · drill · bulb · racket · dip · clip · bear · can

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. clip — to cut
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to sink
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — for paper

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