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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. net — after costs
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a hint
  8. race — humankind
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — the arms race
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cue — a signal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. net — in sport
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. race — a contest

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