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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — after costs
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — for betting

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