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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. shower — rain
  8. net — for catching
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a city
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — a container
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — in a tire

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