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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. club — for golf
  6. net — for catching
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — after costs
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. club — a group
  20. present — there
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — a weight
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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