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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. field — a subject
  5. present — there
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — wild animals
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a grade
  10. present — a gift
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a face
  15. pass — a permit
  16. field — for sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a match
  19. field — farmland
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — the time now

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