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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. net — in sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. swing — to play on
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — of the year
  14. net — for catching
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — hasty
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — for measuring

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