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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — a law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. net — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mine — belonging to me

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