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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a city
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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