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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — high quality
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — in sport
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tube — a container
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. degree — temperature

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