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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. firm — steady
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — after costs
  10. ground — a position
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. ground — the earth
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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