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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a dance
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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