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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: kick · pound · fine · rash · season · march · net · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — in sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rash — a series
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. mug — a face
  12. march — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — in football
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — all right

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