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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — the earth
  17. net — after costs
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fall — the season

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