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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — for catching
  11. season — of the year
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fine — high quality
  19. date — the fruit
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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