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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — all right
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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