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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
468
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: can · ball · club · cell · wax · mine · net · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. club — a group
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for golf
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. net — for catching
  23. key — for a lock
  24. 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