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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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