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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. land — ground
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — a break
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — a country
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — help

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