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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — the earth
  3. net — in sport
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — a path
  15. net — after costs
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — thin

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