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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — ground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — for golf
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — for dancing
  17. date — the fruit
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — to roll

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