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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a document
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — to fit
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. file — a tool

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