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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — in sport
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rule — government
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rule — a law
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — child
  24. board — a flat piece

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