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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — to protest
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — crushed
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — the earth

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