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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
468
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 · bulb · ruler · pop · present · squash · deal · march

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — there
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — for catching
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — soda
  15. net — in sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — music

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