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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — of ice
  12. net — in sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — humankind
  24. prune — the fruit

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