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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — a hint
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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