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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — to sink
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — a law
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — government
  23. net — for catching
  24. dip — a sauce

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