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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kick — in football
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. season — of the year
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — to eat with

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