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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: fine · wax · track · snap · net · land · bear · date

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a path
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wax — to grow
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. snap — to click
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a song
  21. net — for catching
  22. land — a country
  23. fine — all right
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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