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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — to crush

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