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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — the earth
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. net — for catching
  14. ground — a position
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. craft — boats
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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