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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a line
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kid — child

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