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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fall — the season
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — the animal

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