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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — money
  9. present — the time now
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. present — a gift
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. net — after costs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to click
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — there

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