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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — in control
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — after costs
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty

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