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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
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: net · rule · cell · object · bear · rock · game · nail

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — after costs
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — a law
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — a match
  19. rule — government
  20. net — in sport
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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