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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.

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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — for pool
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — for catching
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — after costs
  24. perch — for a bird

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