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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a path
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — a country

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