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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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