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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — a phone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in biology
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — a supporter

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