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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a song
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — certain
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — in sport
  24. rock — music

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