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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — in sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — for catching
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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