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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. net — after costs
  3. bound — certain
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — for catching
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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