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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: object · net · wind · lie · pit · field · can · drill

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. net — for catching
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — after costs
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — an aim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. field — a subject
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — a thing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — to be able to
  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