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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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 — in sport
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — after costs
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  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