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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — bread
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. drill — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fork — in a road
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — for catching
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spell — magic
  24. drill — a practice

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