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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — obliged
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — a group
  11. land — ground
  12. tube — the underground
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for dancing
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

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