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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — a hole
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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