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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. court — of law
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. court — of a king
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — a trail

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