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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. land — ground
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — happy
  16. root — of a word
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — the instrument

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