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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — wild animals
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spell — a short time
  16. scale — in music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — a group
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — thin

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