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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a line of people
  10. net — in sport
  11. file — a document
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — a tin

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