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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — there
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — the amount
  9. net — in sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — a group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — a match
  21. content — happy
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

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