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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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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: club · net · bear · pound · file · lash · season · racket

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a document
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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