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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — for catching
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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