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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — in music
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. press — to push
  9. key — the most important part
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. key — for a lock
  18. press — a publisher
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. firm — decided
  22. current — happening now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. saw — the tool

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