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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — for dancing
  14. firm — decided
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — a company
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — the animal

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