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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — to fit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — an aim
  12. scale — size or range
  13. net — for catching
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — after costs

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