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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — all right
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — a group
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — to bear
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — the cause
  20. key — in music
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — in sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. club — for golf

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