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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · racket · wind · rash · rest · pop · net · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. rash — a series
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — for catching
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rest — a break
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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