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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. content — videos and posts
  4. kick — in football
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — in sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. root — the cause
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — for catching
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. content — the amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — with a leg

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