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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. net — in sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — after costs
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — of a tree

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