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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
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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: net · kick · cap · bulb · roll · temple · present · ground

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. present — there
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. present — the time now
  14. roll — a list
  15. cap — of ice
  16. present — a gift
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — a hat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — crushed

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