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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — to protest
  4. bass — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — after costs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — low music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — for catching

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