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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bore — to drill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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