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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of a king
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of law
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. court — for sport
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. net — in sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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