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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. last — finally
  3. mark — a trace
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — goods
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — final
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — to go on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — in sport
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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