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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ruler — for measuring

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