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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. net — for catching
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. roll — a list
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. file — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a document
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rock — a stone

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