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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: bowl · mark · rule · nail · net · key · foot · game

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — a grade
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — in music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a match
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — government
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — in sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a dish

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