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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. ground — crushed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

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