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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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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ground — the earth
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. game — wild animals
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — for pool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. net — in sport
  24. ground — a position

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