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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cue — for pool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. field — a subject

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