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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rock — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — to move gently

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