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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — a company
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — steady
  20. net — for catching
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — decided
  24. net — in sport

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