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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — music
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. key — for a lock

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