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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. staff — a stick
  18. season — of the year
  19. net — for catching
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. dip — a sauce

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