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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — in music
  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