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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kid — child
  6. fine — high quality
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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