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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. net — for catching
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — a law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. squash — to crush

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