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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pit — in a race
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. season — of the year
  6. net — for catching
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend

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