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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — what's left

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