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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kid — child
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — the most important part
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. net — for catching

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