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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. land — a country
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a match
  23. net — for catching
  24. fork — to eat with

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