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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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. bank — for money
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — to be able to
  6. degree — temperature
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. degree — from a university
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — boats
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pop — to visit
  18. last — finally
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — for spectators

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