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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — in sport
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — for catching
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — to paddle

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