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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — for catching
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — goods
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — to wash
  15. net — after costs
  16. shower — rain
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — a soup base

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