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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. face — part of the head
  7. band — a music group
  8. rock — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ground — crushed
  12. court — for sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — for catching
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — in cards

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