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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. root — the cause
  12. net — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — hasty
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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