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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bore — to drill
  3. last — finally
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — a container
  17. field — a subject
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — final
  20. net — in sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. calf — of the leg

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