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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. suit — clothes
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — child
  7. bound — certain
  8. drill — army training
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — to fit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — to tease
  18. drill — the tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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