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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — in music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. key — for a lock
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — the animal

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