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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — for catching
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. net — in sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — soda
  10. hand — help
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — goods
  20. pop — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pop — to visit

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