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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 116 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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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: fine · row · pit · net · bulb · root · snap · pop

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. net — for catching
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. snap — to click
  8. net — in sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — a quarrel

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