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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — after costs
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — to be able to
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cap — a lid
  24. row — to paddle

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