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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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