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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. key — in music
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. club — a group
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — for catching
  23. club — for golf
  24. straw — dry grass

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