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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — after costs
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. net — for catching
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pass — to spend time

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