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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — money
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a line
  16. ground — the earth
  17. row — to paddle
  18. capital — a city
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — in sport

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