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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — soda
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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