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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. land — to come down
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. safe — a strongbox

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