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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — soda
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — for catching
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — decided
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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