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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — clever
  24. arm — part of the body

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