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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pound — a weight
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mug — a face
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mug — to rob
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — for a lock
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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