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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — in sport

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