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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — after costs
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spell — a short time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. branch — a division
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a great time

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