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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rush — hurry
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a great time
  16. march — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bound — obliged
  24. racket — a loud noise

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