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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — in sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bark — to shout
  18. net — for catching
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. leaves — to go away

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