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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — electric
  9. last — finally
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — of water
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — to handle
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. object — a thing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — after costs
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — an untruth

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