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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — after costs
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. net — for catching
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. staff — a stick
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a song
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a path

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