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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — low music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — for catching
  24. bank — of a river

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