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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — high quality
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — for sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. field — farmland
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — after costs
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — to be able to
  24. object — to protest

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