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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — temperature
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — for catching

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