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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stock — goods
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — for catching
  9. land — to come down
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. board — a committee
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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