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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — size or range
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — completely
  14. scale — in music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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