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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. file — a document
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — to sink
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — after costs
  16. file — a tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — in sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — of the year

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