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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
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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: stick · ruler · hand · game · last · bear · net · suit

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — after costs
  19. hand — help
  20. game — a match
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — in sport

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