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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — side of the head
  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