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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — the most important part
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. chest — a box
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — for a lock
  22. net — for catching
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to spend time

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