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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — in sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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