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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 124 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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — the most important part
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — for a bird

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