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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — in sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — the earth

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