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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — a face
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — a hole
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mug — to rob

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