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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — after costs
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — the month
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — in football
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — for catching
  24. mark — a grade

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