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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — a thing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — 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