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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — the amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — for catching
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — in sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chest — a box

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