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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — letters
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — magic
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — all right
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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