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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. roll — a cake
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. date — the fruit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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