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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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