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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — a price
  10. kid — to tease
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — for catching
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kid — child
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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