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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — in sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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