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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. net — in sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. last — final
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. last — to go on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ground — the earth

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