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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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