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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — child
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — of a river
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — for catching
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. net — after costs

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