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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — army training
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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