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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. key — for a lock
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — to rip
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — in music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tear — from crying
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fine — all right

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