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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — in music
  8. current — electric
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — for catching
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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