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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kid — child
  6. pop — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. net — in sport
  11. rule — government
  12. content — the amount
  13. rule — a law
  14. content — happy
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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