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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — for dancing
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. club — for golf
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. band — a music group
  17. net — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. club — a group
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — for sport
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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