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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. swing — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — of a king
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bear — the animal

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