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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — wild animals
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. net — for catching
  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