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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — the most important part
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to click
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. net — in 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