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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. game — a match
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — completely
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fine — all right
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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