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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. can — a tin
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. snap — to click
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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