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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rule — government
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — for catching
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — all right
  23. march — music
  24. saw — the tool

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