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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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — in sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. object — to protest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — the fish

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