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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — a subject
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. net — in sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — to handle
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — after costs
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rule — government
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. field — farmland
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — to sink

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