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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fine — all right
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — a thrill

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