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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. current — electric
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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