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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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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: mouse · bowl · net · pitcher · season · hide · fall · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. season — of the year
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fall — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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