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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — crushed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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