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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — after costs
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — in sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. club — a group
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — a position
  13. net — for catching
  14. ground — crushed
  15. club — for golf
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. key — in music
  24. court — for sport

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