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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — final
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fine — all right
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — in football
  19. last — finally
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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