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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · fan · mine · rash · firm · season · track · cap

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a lid
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. season — of the year
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — a company
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — steady
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. season — in sport
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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