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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — a company
  6. toast — bread
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. snap — to click
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — goods
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — steady
  16. net — in sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — shares
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — decided

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