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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — child
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — in sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. net — after costs
  24. can — a tin

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