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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 120 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: deal · wound · pit · bulb · net · calf · file · foot

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a document
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pit — a hole
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — a measure
  21. net — after costs
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — part of the body

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