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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.

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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — letters
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rest — a break

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