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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — the most important part
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. net — after costs
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stand — on your feet

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