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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — after costs
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a path
  24. rest — what's left

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