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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a dance
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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