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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — a company
  16. key — in music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bound — obliged
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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