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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — in music
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a music group
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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