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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — of the year
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — a company
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — decided
  18. bore — to tire

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