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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. pop — soda
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — to shout
  24. toast — bread

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