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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. present — there
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — a gift
  13. net — in sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. present — the time now
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — to drill

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