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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. land — a country
  6. march — the month
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — in sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — after costs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. march — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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