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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.

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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 · cap · ruler · rash · kick · pound · mine · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. net — for catching
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — a weight
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — with a leg
  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