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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: object · net · season · kick · ball · cell · straw · pitcher

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. object — a thing
  6. cell — a phone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — in football
  12. object — to protest
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cell — in biology
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — of the year

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