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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — the season
  11. swing — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bore — to tire
  24. swing — in golf

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