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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
468
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: mark · pit · fan · net · present · bear · shower · rock

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — for catching
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — there
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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