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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — a match
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — steady
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a hint
  13. game — wild animals
  14. firm — decided
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash

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