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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pound — a weight
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. key — the most important part

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