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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rest — a break
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — in music

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