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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — to fit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. kid — to tease
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. net — for catching
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — in cards

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