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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. roll — a cake
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — a position
  24. net — in sport

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