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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pound — for dogs

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