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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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468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — in music
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — a leader
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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