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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — a measure
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — a signal
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — a hint

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