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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. net — for catching
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. squash — the sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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