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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 116 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: present · can · mate · bulb · game · net · rash · bowl

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — the time now
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rash — a series
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bulb — of a plant

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