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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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