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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pop — to visit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a path
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — in football
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — a song

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