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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · wax · foot · net · bay · object · tube · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — to protest
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — a measure
  7. net — in sport
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — a container
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — a thing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — the underground
  24. jam — a tight spot

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