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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. drill — a practice
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. net — for catching
  13. kid — to tease
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. foot — a measure
  23. drill — army training
  24. hide — to keep secret

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