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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — happy
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. content — the amount
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rock — music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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