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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — for catching
  14. game — wild animals
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — to keep track

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