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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — a break
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a face
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — to rob
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — to keep track

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