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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — a price
  11. net — in sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — a weight
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — for catching

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