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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pit — a hole
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — on your feet

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