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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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