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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 120 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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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: deal · bound · net · mark · fan · ground · pit · calf

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — for catching
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pit — in a race

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