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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — ground
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — a group
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — in sport
  10. land — a country
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — clever
  17. club — for golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — in sport
  21. fall — the season
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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