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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — for catching
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stock — goods
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — a soup base

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