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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a hole
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — to move gently

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