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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. firm — decided
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — a price
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — steady
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. march — music

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