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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rock — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — obliged
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — certain
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — tied together

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