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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — a stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. net — in sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — in football
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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