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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — there
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — a division
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. net — in sport

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