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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — a thing
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pit — a hole

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