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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — crushed
  5. object — an aim
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — a thing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. firm — a company

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