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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — for a lock
  10. band — a ring
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. key — in music

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