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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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. bound — certain
  4. track — a path
  5. net — for catching
  6. bat — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — a price
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — electricity
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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