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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. foot — a measure
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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