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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. key — in music
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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