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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — of the year
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — humankind
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — a contest

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