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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — for catching
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. deal — to handle

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