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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — steady
  18. degree — from a university
  19. net — after costs
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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