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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.

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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. roll — a list
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. net — in sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. roll — a cake
  10. net — for catching
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. kid — child
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. board — a committee
  19. key — in music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pit — a hole

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