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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — a trace
  9. march — the month
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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