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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — in sport
  10. capital — money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — an aim
  21. capital — a city
  22. fine — all right
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — to be able to

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