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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cue — for pool
  23. patient — a sick person
  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