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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. last — final
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — a horse colour

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