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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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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: fan · deal · dip · net · sharp · perch · patient · trunk

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — to handle
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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