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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — after costs
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — help
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — a contest

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