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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: mark · bat · mate · ground · deal · net · jam · bear

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bear — the animal
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. net — in sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — a position
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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