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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — a publisher
  11. firm — steady
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ball — a great time
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. net — for catching
  24. wound — an injury

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