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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — an aim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. stock — shares
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — to handle
  24. can — a tin

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