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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 124 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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. field — a subject
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. field — for sport
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — a position
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — hurry

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