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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. band — a music group
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — in sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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