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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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