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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kick — in football
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of law
  24. key — in music

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