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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to click
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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