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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — in sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — in football
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — to add flavour

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