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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — of a river
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — to visit
  9. date — the fruit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — after costs
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — for catching

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