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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — letters
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. rule — government
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — the most important part
  24. net — in sport

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