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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cue — for pool
  3. row — a line
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — to visit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — for catching
  10. season — in sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of a king
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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