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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — after costs
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — in football
  8. land — a country
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. net — in sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. roll — a list
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — ground

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