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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — shares
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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