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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — in a road
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — to come from
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — to eat with

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