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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — a thing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a trace
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — an aim
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — to protest
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ruler — for measuring

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