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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — goods
  22. net — after costs
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — a part of something

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