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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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 — after costs
  2. current — of water
  3. net — for catching
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bat — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. club — a group
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — electric
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — for sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — happening now
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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