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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — of ice
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a face
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — the sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a lid

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