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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a document
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — a group
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — in music

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