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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: squash · bulb · cue · march · net · tube · roll · present

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — the underground
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. present — the time now
  9. roll — a list
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a hint
  13. present — there
  14. march — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. net — in sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. roll — a cake
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a signal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. present — a gift

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