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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — low music
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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