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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — the underground
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. root — the cause
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — of a plant
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — exactly

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