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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bank — of a river
  13. present — there
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — in a race
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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