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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — in sport
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — army training
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — for a lock

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