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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — after costs
  5. field — farmland
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for dancing
  9. net — in sport
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — decided
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — a subject
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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