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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — soda
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — for catching
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — in football
  10. toast — bread
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pop — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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