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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chest — a box
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chest — of your body

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