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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. fine — all right
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. degree — an amount
  12. object — a thing
  13. stem — to come from
  14. object — to protest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — temperature
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — from a university

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