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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — to come down
  10. net — after costs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. land — ground
  13. object — a thing
  14. land — a country
  15. swing — in golf
  16. object — to protest
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. net — for catching
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — for dogs

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