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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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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: wake · object · ruler · season · mine · game · ground · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. net — in sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — for catching
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — a trail
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — a thing

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