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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — size or range
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — part of the body

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