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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — the most important part
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spring — of water
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — in music
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spring — the season
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rest — what's left

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