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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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