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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. 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. net — in sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a partner
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fine — all right
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a trace
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — a match
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. 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