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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. content — the amount
  8. march — music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — for catching
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. march — the month
  24. net — in sport

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