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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. scale — in music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — a series
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rash — hasty
  23. craft — boats
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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