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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. net — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. object — to protest
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a great time
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. net — for catching
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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