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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — in football
  14. last — finally
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. last — final
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pop — soda
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — the earth

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