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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. net — in sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — to push
  12. object — a thing
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a grade
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — for digging
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mark — a trace

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