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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — for catching
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bass — low music
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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