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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — high quality
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. craft — boats
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fine — all right

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