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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. net — for catching
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. net — in sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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