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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. firm — a company
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — a face
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — a trail
  15. firm — decided
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — a thrill

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