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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. net — after costs
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — employees
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — a permit
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — to keep track
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — a path
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. court — of law
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. field — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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