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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — in music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — in a race
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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