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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. net — for catching
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. root — the cause
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — all right
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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