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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: key · pound · file · club · net · cabinet

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. club — a group
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — in sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — for dancing

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