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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. march — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — in music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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