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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — for catching
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — the most important part
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. suit — in cards

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