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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — in sport
  5. club — a group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — clothes
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. present — a gift
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — of a tree

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