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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — a country
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lean — thin
  10. net — for catching
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — ground
  23. net — after costs
  24. swing — in golf

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