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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — in sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. net — for catching
  12. court — of law
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — for sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. net — after costs
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — a match

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