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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — in sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — a phone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — in a prison

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