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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fall — the season
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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