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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. row — a line
  4. march — the month
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. kick — in football
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — out of danger

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