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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — in control
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — humankind
  14. key — the most important part
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — a contest

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