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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: bowl · march · lie · wake · pit · bulb · net · can

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. march — the month
  3. net — after costs
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. can — a tin

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