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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — music
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — a group
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — to come down
  23. shower — to wash
  24. net — in sport

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