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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — a line
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — in music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — to sink
  16. net — in sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mug — to rob
  23. row — to paddle
  24. key — for a lock

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