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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bat — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. craft — boats
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. net — for catching
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — in sport

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