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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.

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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — humankind
  6. cell — a phone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. cell — in biology
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — in sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a dance
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year

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