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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — a division
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. club — a group
  7. track — a path
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a cake
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. roll — a list
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. dip — a sauce

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