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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — to be able to
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — the season
  13. pit — in a race
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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