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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — for catching
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tube — a container

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