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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — in sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — with an edge

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