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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. game — wild animals
  20. net — in sport
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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