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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — after costs
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ground — crushed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — in sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — clever

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