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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kid — child
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — to tease
  17. net — after costs
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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