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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — after costs
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. race — a contest
  11. firm — decided
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — goods
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — a company
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mug — a face
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — humankind
  24. mug — to rob

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