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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chip — for betting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — the month

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