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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hand — in cards
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — help
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — of a tree

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