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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. craft — boats
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — for catching
  24. hand — in cards

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