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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — steady
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a match
  11. net — for catching
  12. pop — soda
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. firm — a company
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — to visit

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