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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. branch — a division
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. drill — army training
  23. present — the time now
  24. drill — a practice

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