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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — in sport
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kid — to tease
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — the underground

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