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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. net — in sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a song
  12. net — for catching
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — of a river
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — a subject
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — a path
  24. cue — for pool

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