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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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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: fork · net · mark · lie · key · kick

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. net — after costs

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