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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — to rip
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — happy
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — in sport

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