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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. net — after costs
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. last — final
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. last — finally
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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