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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mug — a cup
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — a skill
  9. current — electric
  10. march — music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a face
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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