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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a hole
  7. land — to come down
  8. ground — a position
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. net — after costs
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hand — help
  20. land — ground
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — in a race

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