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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — in sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — for catching
  24. branch — of a tree

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