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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — after costs
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — the time now
  7. game — a match
  8. court — for sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. court — of a king
  15. present — a gift
  16. game — wild animals
  17. present — there
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. suit — clothes

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