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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — a thrill

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