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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: suit · prune · bulb · game · drill · bowl · can · net

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — wild animals
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — a match
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — the tool
  24. net — for catching

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