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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · net · stick · ground · tear · present

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — the earth
  5. present — the time now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — there
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. ground — a position

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