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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. net — after costs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — goods
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hand — part of the body

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