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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — after costs
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. game — a match
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — an aim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fine — high quality
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. object — to protest

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