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

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — to come from
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a cup
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer

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