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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. toast — bread
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — a trainer

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