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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rash — a series
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bat — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a great time

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