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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — the fish
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — in control
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — for catching
  16. spring — of water
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bank — of a river
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. net — in sport

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