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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. snap — to click
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pound — a weight
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — for catching

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