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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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Word bank
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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — all right
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — an illness
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — out of danger

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