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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — in music
  3. net — after costs
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a word
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — the cause
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — rain
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — the fish
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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