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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — a container
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the sport
  6. march — the month
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. march — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — all right

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