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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — a video
  7. net — for catching
  8. fall — the season
  9. game — wild animals
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. net — after costs
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. object — a thing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to succeed

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