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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — in music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — a stone
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — for catching
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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