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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. swing — to play on
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rule — a law
  13. net — for catching
  14. swing — in golf
  15. object — an aim
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chip — for betting
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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