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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. object — an aim
  4. spring — the season
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spell — magic
  15. charge — a price
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — of water
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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