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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — a face
  16. net — in sport
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — in football
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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