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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. net — for catching
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. last — to go on
  24. toast — bread

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