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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — the month
  4. net — after costs
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — the tool

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