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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. board — to get on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — a gift
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — thin
  8. net — in sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — a path
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. track — a song
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — the time now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a committee
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — to bend
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bore — to tire

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