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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. root — the cause
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. net — for catching
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — of a king

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