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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — thin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — to bend

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