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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — in sport
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. net — after costs
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — the animal

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