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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — in sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — for catching
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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