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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — for catching
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. suit — clothes
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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