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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. sharp — clever
  4. track — a song
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rash — hasty

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