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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — an aim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a cup
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — to bear

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