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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — a match
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — in sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — a face
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — all right
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — for catching
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — after costs

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