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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — for catching
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bass — low music

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