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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pass — a permit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — to spend time

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