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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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. mug — a face
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — to rob
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — after costs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — happy
  22. present — there
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — of ice

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