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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — humankind
  8. hand — help
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — a contest
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. key — in music

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