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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. net — in sport
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cold — an illness
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — all right
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — a position

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