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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — a practice
  5. track — a path
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — for catching
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — clever

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