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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — to go on
  24. can — to be able to

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