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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cue — a hint
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. net — after costs
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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