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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — a cake
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — a thing
  14. roll — a list
  15. season — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitcher — a jug

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