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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 120 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: rash · object · ground · dip · fork · net · stick · file

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — a series
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — the earth
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. object — to protest
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — a thing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a tool

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