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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 116 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: ball · cue · dip · sharp · game · press · ground · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — a position
  4. game — a match
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ground — the earth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — for pool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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