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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — after costs
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — in music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — happening now
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fine — all right
  18. current — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — in football
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. current — electric

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