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

Word bank: net · ball · bay · mouse · cabinet · race · rest · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — a contest
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. race — humankind
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cabinet — ministers

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