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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — all right
  14. object — to protest
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — an injury

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