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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. last — finally
  8. present — the time now
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — there
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. drill — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — final
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — size or range
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — a stick

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