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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. net — for catching
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. net — in sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — happy

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