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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: firm · stick · pit · net · bay · kick · spring · mug

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — to rob
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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