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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — after costs
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — to protest
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — a tin

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