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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. sharp — clever

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