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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. net — for catching
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — the season
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spring — of water
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — in football
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — an agreement

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