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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. club — for golf
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pit — in a race
  9. season — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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