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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — for catching
  10. court — of law
  11. club — for golf
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — of a king
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — a group
  18. current — electric
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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