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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. toast — bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — humankind
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of a king
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. club — a group
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — of law
  20. club — for dancing
  21. race — the arms race
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — for golf
  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