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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — electric
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. current — of water

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