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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. drill — a practice
  3. net — after costs
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — child
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — from crying
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — to rip
  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