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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — electric
  10. land — a country
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — happening now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — to come down
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — in sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. land — ground
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. bear — the animal

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