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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — for catching
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — for a lock
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a music group
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — a sports field

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