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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. net — after costs
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — in football
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final

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