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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a friend
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — after costs
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — goods
  24. bat — for baseball

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