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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — help
  11. firm — a company
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — final
  16. firm — steady
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. firm — decided

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