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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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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: ball · net · tube · fine · deal · ground · present · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. pop — to visit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tube — the underground
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. present — there
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — all right
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — soda
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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