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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
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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: prune · race · march · bulb · game · bowl · present · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — for catching
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a match
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. race — a contest
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — humankind
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. race — the arms race

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