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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mug — a cup
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pop — to visit
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pop — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — for catching
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — bread
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pop — soda
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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