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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — for dancing
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a hat
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — a group
  24. bear — the animal

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