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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. net — in sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — a series
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — for sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — the animal

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