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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. can — to be able to
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. firm — decided
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — a trail
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — steady
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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