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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. race — a contest
  3. net — for catching
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. net — after costs
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — in music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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