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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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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: craft · pitch · bank · key · board · net · land · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. craft — boats
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — to come down
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — a country
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — for catching
  24. board — to get on

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