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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. net — after costs
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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