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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. field — a subject
  3. shower — rain
  4. field — farmland
  5. shower — to wash
  6. field — for sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — in sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. firm — steady
  17. content — happy
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — an agreement

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