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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — a thing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. root — the cause
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a path
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. root — of a word
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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