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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a face
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. net — for catching
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. track — a song
  16. mug — to rob
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — in sport

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