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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: land · firm · stick · game · foot · sharp · net · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. net — for catching
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — a measure
  8. firm — a company
  9. land — ground
  10. net — after costs
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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