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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bound — obliged
  3. foot — a measure
  4. object — a thing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to drill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. net — for catching
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. object — to protest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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