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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. land — ground
  7. spring — the season
  8. land — a country
  9. net — for catching
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spring — of water
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — in football
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spring — a coil

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