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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — all right
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — for catching
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rule — government
  24. fall — to drop

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