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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · fan · row · spell · can · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — letters
  15. row — to paddle
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — a line
  18. can — a tin

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