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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — for catching
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — the cause
  14. mark — a trace
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a word

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