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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — to rob
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — in sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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