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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — an aim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — a thing
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. bat — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  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