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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — a short time
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. capital — money
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — a price
  20. net — in sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. key — in music
  24. craft — boats

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