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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. club — a group
  3. track — a path
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rock — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — all right
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fork — in a road
  24. perch — the fish

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