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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — crushed
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. ground — the earth

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