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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — all right

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