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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 124 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: mug · bear · leaves · wake · pound · rash · net · bat

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rash — a series
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mug — to rob
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. leaves — to go away

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