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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. net — after costs
  3. land — to come down
  4. degree — an amount
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — for catching
  7. present — there
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — ground

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