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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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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: sharp · net · season · game · last · deal · ground · ruler

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ground — the earth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — finally
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. season — of the year
  11. last — to go on
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — final
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. deal — to handle
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — exactly

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