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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. ball — a great time
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mug — a cup
  14. game — a match
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mug — to rob
  24. game — a kind of play

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