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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — soda
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — after costs
  10. fork — in a road
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cell — in biology
  16. present — there
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cell — a phone
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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