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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. net — after costs
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — for catching
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — to be able to
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. net — in sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitch — a sports field

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