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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — after costs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — a gift
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — there

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