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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Let us try to swim against 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. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. drill — army training
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — bread
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — electric
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — of water

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