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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. land — ground
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. club — for golf
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. club — a group
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. firm — a company
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — decided

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