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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. club — a group
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ground — a position
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — to bear

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