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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. root — of a word

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