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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — for catching
  3. capital — money
  4. ball — a great time
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — after costs
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — a city
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — for a computer

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