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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — after costs
  3. fine — all right
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — in football
  14. net — in sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fine — high quality
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  24. net — for catching

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