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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — hurry
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — in sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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